Luke Littler, 18, Clinches Second Consecutive World Darts Championship Victory

In a remarkable display of skill and determination, 18-year-old Luke Littler has secured his second consecutive PDC Darts World Championship title. The final match took place at Alexandra Palace, where Littler triumphed over Dutch player Gian van Veen with a score of 7-1, further solidifying his status in the sport.

Historic Victory for Luke Littler

Littler, who became the youngest world champion last year, faced Van Veen in what was touted as an electrifying showdown. Despite a challenging start, with Van Veen winning the opening set, Littler quickly found his rhythm. He achieved a remarkable three-dart average of 106 and recorded 16 scores of 180 during the match.

Key Match Details

• Match Score: Luke Littler 7 – Gian van Veen 1
• Average: 106 (three-dart average)
• 180s: 16 scored by Littler
• Record Purse: £1,000,000 (approximately $1,346,700)

This championship final was notable not only for its scoreline but also for the players’ ages, making it the youngest final in PDC history. Littler now leads their head-to-head record at 4-3, with their first encounter taking place during the Youth World Championship final in November 2023.

Path to the Final

Throughout the tournament, Littler demonstrated resilience. He lost the first set in the semi-final against Ryan Searle but rebounded to win six consecutive sets. His journey also included overcoming hostile crowd reactions during his quarter-final matchup against 2018 champion Rob Cross.

In contrast, Van Veen made an impressive debut in the finals, having previously defeated Luke Humphries and Gary Anderson, making him only the third Dutch player to reach the final since legends such as Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld.

Acknowledgments and Future Aspirations

After his victory, Littler expressed his excitement about retaining the title, which was presented to him by Sir Chris Hoy. He also paid tribute to British boxer Anthony Joshua, acknowledging a tragic incident that involved Joshua’s team. Littler quoted, “Just like AJ said, the first time was so nice, I had to do it twice!”

With this win, Littler joins an elite group of players, becoming the first to win back-to-back titles since Gary Anderson achieved the feat a decade ago. While he is far from Phil Taylor’s record of 16 world titles, Littler’s exceptional talent hints at a promising future in darts.